Umar (radi Allahu anhu) said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (sal Alahu alaihi wa sallam) say, 'If you were to rely upon Allah with the reliance He is due, you would be given provision like the birds: They go out hungry in the morning and come back with full bellies in the evening.'" [Ibn Majah - graded hasan, Tirmidhi]
Commentary: The reliance of birds is that they do not store their livelihood. They have full trust that as Allah provided them with their food today, He will surely grant their food tomorrow as well.
Reliance does not mean that the lawful means of earning a livelihood should be abandoned. Even birds have to leave their nests in search of their food, and they get their food after an effort. Similarly, a person should seek his earnings through lawful means, not being greedy.
There is so much good that Shaytan prevents us from doing by scaring us with poverty and making us hoard. Shaytan tells you that no matter how much you have it is not enough, you need to hoard whatever you have. It is true that regardless of how much you have, it will not be enough to maintain a particular lifestyle, should the circumstances of your life change sufficiently. What we forget is that whatever we are accumulating is given to us from Allah. We are not snatching it from Allah. Allah is giving it to us. He is the One who will give to you when you need it. On the other hand, if calamity after calamity is to befall you, God Forbid, then no amount of savings will help you.
Most people who have stopped themselves from giving, die without that wealth having been of any use to them. Keep a modest amount for your family's needs and spend generously in the path of Allah. Know that it is Allah who is saving you from the calamities of which you are afraid and for which you are preparing. Hoarding is not the way to save yourself from calamities. Rasool Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) told us that the giving of sadaqah is what keeps calamities away from us.
Commentary: The reliance of birds is that they do not store their livelihood. They have full trust that as Allah provided them with their food today, He will surely grant their food tomorrow as well.
Reliance does not mean that the lawful means of earning a livelihood should be abandoned. Even birds have to leave their nests in search of their food, and they get their food after an effort. Similarly, a person should seek his earnings through lawful means, not being greedy.
There is so much good that Shaytan prevents us from doing by scaring us with poverty and making us hoard. Shaytan tells you that no matter how much you have it is not enough, you need to hoard whatever you have. It is true that regardless of how much you have, it will not be enough to maintain a particular lifestyle, should the circumstances of your life change sufficiently. What we forget is that whatever we are accumulating is given to us from Allah. We are not snatching it from Allah. Allah is giving it to us. He is the One who will give to you when you need it. On the other hand, if calamity after calamity is to befall you, God Forbid, then no amount of savings will help you.
Most people who have stopped themselves from giving, die without that wealth having been of any use to them. Keep a modest amount for your family's needs and spend generously in the path of Allah. Know that it is Allah who is saving you from the calamities of which you are afraid and for which you are preparing. Hoarding is not the way to save yourself from calamities. Rasool Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) told us that the giving of sadaqah is what keeps calamities away from us.
